Sparham, Saint Mary Church, Records state that a Joanna Butte gave the south aisle in 1481, and most of the buildings work was at its peak then, there was a church on this site before, but much smaller than we see today. Sparham and important church by the early years of the 14th century was transformed and added to, the nave built in the 15th century, the three windows of the Perpendicular Period. The clerestory was built at the same time, but with different donors and give an impressive grandeur outside. There is a curious blank at the east end of the nave where the rood would have been. The church benefits from a "Scratch Dial", this would have been used to set the time of the services before a porch was added. Angels adorn the roof, the pulpit has medieval parts, but is extensively restored. The medieval screen has been removed, and kept, one pair of 15th century paintings has the skeletons in "The Dance of Death" with quotations on scrolls from Job 10.19 "A shrouded skeleton rises from his tomb near the font and says, I should have been as though I had not been born" Also two corpses quote Job 14.1, a"A man that is born a woman hath but a short time, now he is, now he is not" More signs of morbidity is shown at other Norfolk churches, Salle, Little Witchingham and Heydon. Sparham, Saint Mary Church, square west tower, 3 bells, nave with aisles, chancel and south porch. The chancel is early Decorated. The rest of the church is mainly Perpendicular with fine windows, especially in the clerestory and over the chancel arch. There is an ancient rood screen with paintings in the lower panels, also some ancient benches with carvings. The pulpit is late 15th century, restored. After the Reformation, Norfolk churches
suffered greatly from the deliberate destruction of "Popish relics" (a
campaign which Augustus Jessopp called The Great Pillage"). and also
from neglect, changing taste and over-enthusiastic restoration.
Therefore, very little survives of their rich and colourful medieval
fittings and furnishings. This makes rare survivals particularly
precious, like the screens at Ranworth, the Easter Sepulchre at
Northwold, the roodloft at Sheringham, the "Dance of Death" at Sparham,
and the painted rood at Ludham. Sparham meaning homestead or meadow with an enclosure. Old English spearr (enclosure) + ham (homestead) or hamm (meadow).